Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, A V V Solutions stands as a prime example of a construction company that has successfully moved with the times, while continuing to preserve the values that shaped its beginnings.
Founded in 1996, A V V first established its name on the strength of its specialist masonry, heritage restoration and conservation work, primarily for listed and ecclesiastical buildings. Those early years laid the foundations for the reputation the company enjoys today; one built on craft, trust and a deep respect for the legacy of the structures it worked on.
Despite the emphasis on heritage at its core, A V V would not be where it is today without a willingness to adapt. “If you dig your heels in and refuse to develop then you won’t be in business for too long,” explains Michael Tincknell, Commercial Director. “We’ve therefore always been a forward-thinking business able to cut our cloth accordingly.”
This ability to expand their range of services came as clients who had experienced A V V’s conservation work started asking it to take on wider construction responsibilities, such as extensions, new builds and structural additions to the sites it was restoring. Those opportunities brought natural growth and by the mid-2000s the company had secured its first major Tier One relationship with Willmott Dixon. This opened a new door for the business, providing access to broader construction work, such as schools and leisure centres.
Although heritage remains very much ingrained in A V V’s DNA, the market has changed and the company has had to evolve as a consequence. “When I joined 15 years ago, our work was split 60/40 between heritage and construction,” outlines Michael. “Today it’s closer to 75% construction and 25% heritage. Our primary focus remains conservation, but the available opportunities just aren’t at the level they once were.”
This shift has not dulled the pride of the team nor the company’s appreciation of its roots. Instead, it has sharpened its sense of balance – maintaining craftsmanship while embracing the scale and complexity of modern construction.
This magic formula was emphatically recognised this year when A V V collected a trio of honours at the 2025 Brick Awards, including the prestigious Supreme Award, for its work on the Silvertown Tunnel project. The development has already become a landmark achievement in UK infrastructure, not only for its engineering ambition but also for the exceptional quality of its architectural brickwork. The twinbore, 1.4km tunnel – designed to relieve chronic congestion at the Blackwall Tunnel and improve crossriver connectivity – was complemented by two striking portal buildings in Greenwich and Silvertown, conceived by dRMM Architects. These structures were envisioned as permanent architectural markers of strategic significance, featuring meticulously crafted façades built from Staffordshire Blue engineering bricks laid in an articulated Flemish bond. Judges from the Brick Development Association praised the portal buildings for their “excellent quality brickwork demonstrating outstanding craftsmanship, meticulous detailing, and careful planning”. The result is a pair of visually distinctive, contextually sensitive buildings that contribute both functionally and aesthetically to one of London’s most important modern infrastructure projects.
The Silvertown Tunnel project’s excellence has been recognised widely across the industry, culminating in the extraordinary sweep of honours at the 2025 Brick Awards. Working with dRMM, Riverlinx, and Ketley Brick, A V V delivered the specialist brickwork that secured the Craftsmanship Award, Contractor’s Choice Award, and the prestigious Supreme Award—an accolade reserved for the pinnacle of design and construction quality in the UK. These wins reflect not only the artistic and technical achievement of the brickwork but also the collaborative spirit and precision that shaped the build.
For Michael, the Craftsmanship Award and the Contractor’s Choice Award were particularly meaningful. “To secure the Craftsmanship Award really identifies the skill, the quality and all the efforts of the team on site. We are facilitators for what the team do. If they aren’t provided the opportunities to showcase their skills, it’s very difficult to show the wider market what they’re capable of.”
The Contractor’s Choice Award meant just as much, if not more. Voted for by industry peers, it represented a significant nod of respect from firms that fully understand the demands of what the work entails. Many of these businesses are fellow members of the Association of Brickwork Contractors, of which A V V has been a long-standing member. “It felt like the entire market was ‘doffing its cap’ to us,” says Michael. “To be able to say this is the best brickwork project in the world for that year gives us a true sense of achievement.”
Recognition of this scale is rooted not only in skill, but also in culture. Despite all its accolades and commercial success, at its heart A V V remains a family business -something that extends far beyond the boardroom. Many of the firm’s operatives and supervisors are related by blood or marriage, creating an extraordinary level of continuity and loyalty within the team. Some have been with the company nearly 20 years; with few having been employed for less than five. The atmosphere is therefore one of collective responsibility, mutual respect and shared pride. “There’s a huge amount of togetherness and camaraderie within A V V,” says Michael. “We’re massively into sport as a company and we look at it very much like a team sport – if we all put the work in, we will get the results we’re after.”
Stretching the sporting analogy even further, A V V hasn’t neglected the ‘youth team’ either, having continued to develop emerging talent with a clear focus on apprenticeships, both inhouse and in partnership with customers, local education providers and regional initiatives.
As for the next 12 months, as A V V looks to build on a highly impressive and award-laden 2025 by continuing the success in its 30th anniversary year, Michael is cautiously optimistic about the prospects of the marketplace. “After two challenging years of stalled funding, regulatory delays and projects unable to break ground, clear signs of recovery are emerging. One major long awaited scheme has now cleared the Building Safety Regulator, offering momentum at last. If predictions hold, 2026 should be strong and 2027 even stronger.”
For now, A V V Solutions’ 30th anniversary milestone year is about more than simply looking back. It is a celebration of resilience, craftsmanship and a team whose pride in their work has never wavered. The reward of this approach has been a growing collection of industry accolades, but the true legacy is a three-decade journey built brick by brick by a loyal and dedicated team. Here’s to much more to come…
| Web: www.avvsolutions.com. Address: Unit 3 Eastman Way, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 7DU |
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